The Big Valley theme song kept running through my head as my husband and I gazed across the magnificent landscape of the Tetons on a recent vacation to Yellowstone National Park, a bucket list trip for me. It's one of those places you must experience for yourself to fully appreciate. We were like giddy children at our first bison siting!

I was struck by the number of languages we heard, realizing that people traveled from all over the world to absorb all of the sensory wonders of this magical place. As an artist, it is almost impossible to not want to some how, some way capture its raw beauty or prehistoric oddities. And I wondered...."how many of these people ARE artists?".

Thomas Mangelsen, the Jackson Hole photographer who captured that now famous National Geographic moment of a fish jumping into a bear's mouth, comes pretty darn close to bringing a visual experience through art. You can almost feel the cold in his early morning shots. He travels all over the world now, sharing his discoveries with those who choose to view them via a coffee table book.

But did you know that Andrew Wyeth, one of the best known artists of the 20th century, never left his Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania home, with the exception of summers in Maine? Instead of grand landscapes and wild exotic animals, Wyeth painted curtains blowing, and meat hooks, kitchen tables, and of course "Christina's World". As individuals we are privy to different opportunities and are fascinated by various subjects.

We BTS instructors are privileged to learn the inside stories to most all of the artwork that is created in our studios. We get to "travel along" with many artists as they capture their journeys around the globe into their drawings.
And sometimes we get to peek inside their private lives as they share their loved ones or precious heirlooms or hobbies through their art. What a joy and an honor to be allowed into these moments.

Artists express whatever they find lovely or compelling or urgent or sweet. We the viewers are invited into the artist's world with enlightenment, amusement, provocation, emotion or sheer admiration. It's a two way street with no travel required.

"...to be in your classes is why I am here as much as I will be this summer and into fall. Thank you for loving art and being a patient instructor who keeps everyone learning new things in a fun way!"

Janet Thommas

Classes and workshops are now on the 2020 schedule,
so plan your creative time slots acccordingly!

And finally, it is a bittersweet change as Beech Tree Studio says goodbye to Jan DeFily in her current role as BTS instructor in the Elgin Studio. Anne Bernstein will also be making a few adjustments in her Shorewood schedule, and will be teaching limited class sessions going into the 2020 calendar.

I sincerely appreciate the commitment, hard work, creative spirit. professionalism and friendship of these amazing artists!